That's A Great Idea
by fuer grissa ost drauka
Summary: She’d smirk, if it wouldn't give her away. Slytherin himself would've loved her plan. Maybe we need a vote, to see who wants Faith to have a turn in charge. That's a great idea.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** "That's A Great Idea_"_

**Author: **_Fuer Grissa Ost Drauka_

**Rating: **_T, FR-15_

**Pairing:** _Will have some Faith/Harry_

**Disclaimer: **_Don't own any of it_

**Spoilers: **_I don't know if it can really be considered 'spoilers' now, but it starts off in Buffy: season 7 "Empty Places"._

**Status: **_Incomplete_

**Summary:** _She'd smirk, if it wouldn't give her away. Slytherin himself would've loved her plan. "Maybe we need a vote, to see who wants Faith to have a turn in charge" "That's a great idea."_

**Feedback: **_always appreciated_

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**Chapter 1:**

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"I don't understand this, for seven years I've kept us safe by doing this - exactly this - making the hard decisions, and- and now, what? Suddenly, you're all acting like you can't trust me?" Buffy tried to shrug off the sense of déjà vu that nagged at the back of her mind. The entire debate had had an almost familiar quality to it, as if she had seen it all played out before.

"Didn't you say to me today, you can't trust us? I mean, maybe there's something there that should be addressed." Giles' words echoed in her mind. She _knew_ she'd heard him say that before, but when?

"Is that why you sent Spike away? To ambush me?" The familiar words rolled off her tongue before she could comprehend what she was saying. Wait… Spike!

"Oh, come on." After Spike had turned everyone against her and each other for Adam, she'd started having dreams.

"You know what, I am _sick_ of your deal with this Spike guy. This isn't about him; this is about you. You're being reckless." Dreams where her friends turned against her.

"What?" At the time they had seemed like something her mind had invented to help her work through the insecurities that their willingness to turn on her had sparked.

"You are. Man, I don't even know you, and I can tell. You are so obsessed with beating Caleb, you are willing to jump into any plan without thinking." She had shrugged them off.

"That's not what I'm doing." She had done her best to put the dreams out of her mind.

"Well, that's how it feels to us. People are dying." She had put the whole incident behind her and moved on.

"Kennedy-" After a couple weeks, the dreams had stopped.

"Why are you always standing up for her?" She remembered them now - it was hard not to when she was reliving them.

"I'm not." She knew what was happening… what _would_ happen.

"What do you mean, you're not?" They would kick her out of her own house.

"With everything that's happened, I… I'm worried about your judgment." Her mind whirled as she analyzed every conceivable angle of the situation, struggling to keep the situation from spiraling out of control.

"Look, I wish this could be a democracy. I really do, but democracies don't win battles. It's a hard truth, but there has to be a single voice. You need someone to issue orders, and be reckless sometimes, and not take your feelings into account. You need someone to lead you." Her mouth ran on autopilot. The words flowed as if they were from a carefully scripted play. In a way, they almost were. _…someone to lead…_

"And it's automatically you. You really do think you're better than we are." _…someone to lead…_

"No, I-" That was it!

"But we don't know. We don't know if you're actually better. I mean, you came into the world with certain advantages, sure. I mean, that's the legacy." She knew what she had to do.

"I-" She would have smirked if it wouldn't have given her away. Her plan was one that Slytherin himself would have loved.

"But you didn't earn it. You didn't work for it. You've never had anybody come up to you and say you deserve these things more than anyone else. They were just handed to you. So that doesn't make you _better_ than us. It makes you _luckier_ than us." She would give them what they wanted.

"I've gotten us this far." They no longer trusted her - if they ever did. That was okay though. She didn't trust them either.

"But not without a price." There was someone she did trust though. Someone who was just a call away.

"Xander-" For once, she was glad for Whistler and the Powers' interfering. Without them she may not have met him.

"I'm trying to see your point here, Buff... but I guess it must be a little bit to my left... 'cause I just don't." He would come. It was as sure in her mind as the rising and setting sun.

"Look, I'm willing to talk strategy, OK, I'll hear suggestions on how to break this down, but this is the plan. We have to be together on this or we will fail again." He always there for her when she needed him. Just as she was always there for him.

"We are clearly demonstrating that we are _not_ together on this." It was who they were. They had both lost too many people who were close to them to do anything else.

"Which is why you have to fall in line. Look, I'm still in charge here!" Buffy mentally shook herself. It was almost time.

"And why is that exactly?" _Because it's _my_ bloody house,_ she mentally scorned.

"Because I'm the Slayer." Not that they'd understand what that meant.

"And isn't _Faith_ aSlayer too?" Faith is beginning to understand it, but she didn't trust her inner Slayer enough to let herself merge with the Slayer yet.

"What? Whoa, whoa, whoa, _so_ not what I meant. I'm not in charge chick. I think B here needs to just...chill out for a little bit, take a siesta or something, but I'm not the one you want." Here it comes…

"Maybe we need a vote… to see who wants _Faith_ to have a turn in charge."

"That's a great idea, Kennedy," Buffy said. Everyone looked shocked that she had stepped down so easily. Faith had a "deer in the headlights" look on her face.

"Have you lost your mind, B? I'm no leader."

Buffy shrugged with a slight grin. "You are now." The grin faded. "And I don't appreciate my sanity being questioned."

Kennedy snorted. "Consider it questioned."

Buffy shot her a glare. "Now that I'm not the leader, I don't have to worry about setting a bad example if I kick your ass, you know."

"B, can I talk to you outside for a minute?"

Buffy shrugged. "You're the leader," she said with a half-smirk.

Faith growled and grabbed Buffy's arm, dragging the older Slayer outside with her. "What the hell are you trying to pull, B?" Faith demanded as soon as the door was closed.

Buffy gave Faith her best confused/innocent look. "What do you mean?"

"Cut the crap, B. I'm not falling for the dumb-blonde act this time." If Buffy was surprised, she didn't show it. "You're planning _something_."

"Faith, if I _was_ planning something that I didn't want anyone to know about, do you _really_ think I'd say what it was?"

Faith had to acknowledge that Buffy had a point there. "Why did you give in to Ken so easily though?"

Buffy shot her an incredulous look. "You really don't get it?"

Faith shook her head. "No, I don't. Why didn't you just tell them all to go to hell?"

"You mean besides not wanting to give them coronaries?" Buffy smirked as she moved to lean against the porch rail. "Because I'm sick of it." At that moment, she looked as exhausted as she felt. "One moment it's, _You have to be a leader, Buffy. You have to make the tough decisions. You can't let personal feelings or attachments get in the way. _Then the next they're all, _Where do you get off making these kind of decisions for us?_ It's like they forget that I'm human." She took a deep breath to calm herself. "Half of the time, I'm just one step away from walking away from it all with a smile and a pleasant but heartfelt 'screw you' thrown in for good measure." She looked up at Faith. "They were about to throw me out of my own house."

Faith looked stunned. "They wouldn't do that."

"They would. Slayer dreams. Dawn says the actual words, but the rest of them are all for it."

"Damn."

"Yeah," Buffy sighed. "They do have a couple good points though. I _don't_ trust them anymore, and you _do_ deserve a shot at being the leader."

"B, I-"

"You'll do fine," Buffy smiled. "You should get back inside," she nodded towards the house. "They're probably all fighting over who gets the last Hot Pocket, or something as equally insignificant."

"Nah," Faith smirked smugly. "I already got that."

Buffy chuckled as Faith walked back into the house. When she was sure the younger Slayer wouldn't be coming right back out, she went over to the tree that stood in front of the house, and swiftly climbed it. From a branch by the roof, she swung gracefully onto the overhang that jutted out below her window. The window was unlocked like always and she climbed through the window into her room. She pulled a small mirror out of her dresser. "Harry?"

She didn't have to wait long before a familiar face smiled at her from the mirror. "Buffy." He took in her appearance, and a worried frown settled on his face. "Buffy, what's wrong?" His concerns rose even higher when she didn't answer. "Lizzie?" A few tears escaped, making their way down her face. "Are you at home?" She nodded. "Bedroom?" Another nod. "I'll be there in a minute."

The mirror turned blank once more. He was on his way. All she had to do now, was wait.

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She didn't have to wait long before she heard the soft 'pop' that marked his arrival. In just a few moments, Buffy was in his arms as she told him about everything that had happened the past few months.

Harry held her tight as she let go of everything she'd been bottling up inside. He wished she would've called him sooner, but he knew how fiercely independent she could be. It didn't matter. He was here now, and he wouldn't let the First, Caleb, or anyone else hurt her now.

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Dawn had to do a double take as she passed by her sister's room. There was a guy in Buffy's bed. With Buffy! A guy who didn't look familiar. Since when did Buffy bring home random guys? And when had she even had time to go picking up guys?

Someone crashed into her, momentarily pulling her thoughts away from Buffy and her guy. "What's with the statue impersonation, pipsqueak?"

"Faith! It's- It's nothing. Nothing to see-"

"Damn," Faith said appreciatively as she caught sight of what had caused Dawn to stop short. "B, sure knows how to pick the good-looking ones. Why don't you leave B alone for now. Pretty sure she wouldn't appreciate you barging in and waking her up now, would she?"

"I wasn't…" Dawn trailed off with an irritated sigh. "Fine," she stormed off.

Faith shook her head as she closed Buffy's door all the way.

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**To be continued...**

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	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** _Still don't own any of it._

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**Chapter 2:**

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Buffy woke the next morning feeling… safe. That alone was something she was generally unfamiliar with - especially since becoming The Slayer. It was childish, she knew, but Harry always had that effect on her. "Harry?" She knew he was awake even before the slight questioning sound that answered her. "Thanks for coming."

He held her tight for a moment and dropped a light kiss onto her forehead. "Lizzie, you know I'm always here for you. You should've called me sooner."

"I know," she mumbled sleepily. "I didn't think they were all gonna turn on me though."

"At least you were able to stop it from going too far."

"Only because I knew what was going to happen. If I hadn't, I'd be homeless right now."

"No, you wouldn't," he assured her. "You have several houses and an entire vault that you've barely touched."

"It doesn't feel right using that more than I have to."

"It's as much yours, as it is mine."

"Still feels weird."

He smiled. They'd been having this debate for years, and their stances hadn't changed at all in that time. "So, what's your plan?"

"What makes you think I have one?"

Harry snorted at that. "This from the girl that couldn't convince the Hat to put her in anything other than Slytherin?"

Buffy smirked and swatted at his stomach. "That was only because _you_ talked him out of it. Damn thing wouldn't let two people with so much Slytherin potential go to Gryffindor."

Harry just smirked. "So, let's hear this _brilliant_ plan of yours, Lizzie."

"It's simple. With Faith being the leader, I have more freedom to do what I need to do without worrying about taking care of everyone."

He rolled his eyes. "I figured that. I meant what's your next move?"

"Breakfast. Then tonight, we can check out the Vineyard."

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"Where'd all the food come from?"

Buffy turned to see Faith walk into the room. She pointed at Harry who was at the stove cooking. "Faith, meet Harry. Harry, Faith."

"So, you're B's new ride, huh?" Faith asked with a smirk.

Harry looked confused for a moment before shooting Buffy a questioning look.

Buffy tried hard not to laugh. "Faith thinks you're my new 'broom closet buddy'," she explained with a grin.

A horrified look settled on his face. "Oh, _gross_!" Buffy started laughing hysterically while Faith shot her a confused look.

"What? B's hot! If I were into women, I'd do her."

Harry struggled to regain his composure. "Lizzie's like a little sister to me." He glared over at the still laughing Slayer. "A really _immature_ little sister. You knew she was going to do that, didn't you?" He accused.

Buffy grinned and shrugged slightly. "It's _Faith_. I didn't expect her to do anything _else_."

Faith grinned conspiratorially at her sister Slayer. "So, if he's not yours, can I have him?" Harry turned his attention back to the food he was cooking but not before they caught his blush.

"Faith," Buffy said lowly, breaking Faith's gaze away from Harry's backside.

"Yeah, B?"

"You hurt him, and there won't be enough of you left for them to find." Her voice was quiet enough not to be heard by Harry, but the threat was clear regardless. "Are we clear?"

Faith nodded, a bit of nervousness creeping into her. "Yeah, B. We're clear."

Buffy held her gaze for a moment before letting her features fall back into a relaxed look, rarely seen on her. "You've got my blessing then." She grinned. If the blush creeping across the back of his neck was any indication, Harry had definitely heard that one.

"So, where's everyone else?" Buffy asked, changing the subject. "Usually at least Giles and Will are up by now."

"Giles and Dawn are still going over those files on Caleb. Red's sleeping in; her and the brat had a bit of a late night," she said with a smirk. "Had an idea I wanted to run by you."

"Shoot," Buffy said curiously.

"We need some more info on our bad guys - maybe find preacher boy's weakness. I was thinking that tonight we could grab ourselves one of the Bringers; make him talk."

"Faith," Buffy gave her a reassuring smile, "you don't need to run your plans by me. You're the leader now, remember."

"Right."

"It does sound like a good idea though," Harry said as he brought over three plates of eggs and sausages - two of which were stacked twice as high as the other. He set the larger portions down in front of Buffy and Faith before sitting down with them.

Buffy nodded as she dug into the food. She had nearly forgotten how great of a cook Harry was. "When did you want to pull this off?" she asked Faith.

Faith quickly swallowed a mouthful of food. "I figured about an hour after sunset. We get one of the potentials to play bait, and when the Bringers show, we snag one."

"Hey, who's the new guy?" Xander asked as he headed over to the stove and loaded up a plate of food.

"Friend of B's."

Xander looked surprised at that. "How come Buff's never mentioned you?"

Harry shrugged, causing Xander to eye him suspiciously. Buffy rolled her eyes. "Xander, there are plenty of people I know that I've never mentioned to you guys before. So, be nice."

Xander just emitted a noncommittal sound before beginning to eat, much to Buffy's irritation. Harry noticed and placed a calming hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently.

"It's fine. I have to leave for a bit. If we're going out tonight, I'm going to pick up a few things. I should be back in a few hours." He stood and gave Buffy a hug. "If you need _anything_, Liz, just give me a call. I'll be back before you can say 'Snape's a git'." That earned him a small smile, and he dropped a kiss on her forehead. "I'll see you later." He nodded towards Faith. "It was nice meeting you, Faith." Harry gave her a small smile before taking off up the stairs.

When Harry was gone, Buffy shot Xander a glare.

"What?" he asked around a mouthful of food.

"You're such an ass, Xander."

"Hey, who was that?" Willow asked as she and Kennedy joined them.

"Buffy's boyfriend," Xander said somewhat bitterly. "He's probably a vampire or something."

Willow nodded. "He did seem a bit pale."

"Xander, stop it. He's not my boyfriend, and he's not a vampire or demon either!" Buffy defended.

"What is he then?" Faith asked, surprising Buffy. "Come on, B, I've got the Slayer senses too. It was pretty obvious that he's a bit more than your average guy."

Buffy sighed. She should've known that Faith would sense that something was different. Come to think of it, once Willow spent any length of time around him, she'd probably pick up on it too. "He's a wizard."

"Like Will?" Xander questioned.

Willow shook her head. "No, wizards and witches use a different kind of magic. It comes from inside them, instead of from their surroundings. They generally use wands as a focus too," she added as an afterthought.

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With a soft 'crack', Harry was back in his room in the Potter Manor. He knelt down in front of the large metal trunk that rested at the foot of the bed. He pressed his palm down on the Potter crest etched into the top. The trunk opened silently.

The wizarding photo spelled to the inside of the lid caught his attention for a moment. A man who looked just like him and a red-haired woman, holding a small boy and a baby girl with matching black hair and emerald eyes. They all looked so happy there.

Next to that photo was one of him sitting on his mother's lap as she held his baby sister. In the photo, he was reaching for the small girl, giving her a hug as their mother watched with a smile.

Harry forced himself to turn his attention to the contents of the trunk instead of the photos. They always made him feel saddened at how the happy family had been torn apart. He pulled out Gryffindor's sword and a wicked looking axe along with two slim metal cases, one long, one short. Harry set the items on the bed. He closed the lid on the trunk and pressed his palm on the crest, sealing it once more, before going to the wardrobe in the corner of the room.

He changed into a pair of black dragonhide pants and a grey t-shirt before arming himself. Gryffindor's sword went into a sheath at his waist. He strapped the axe to his back. A black dragonhide battle cloak completed the look and concealed his weapons.

Harry gathered up the metal cases before disapparating again with a 'crack'.

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_**to be continued...**_

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**Author's Note:** _It's a bit shorter than I would've liked, but I thought this would be a good spot to separate it. Thank you all for your reviews; I always love hearing what you guys think._

**Up Next:** _Faith's plan gets put into action, she and Harry share a moment, and Spike returns..._


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** _Still don't own any of it._

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**Chapter 3:**

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Harry dodged several teenage girls as he made his way downstairs in search of Buffy. He was pretty sure he knew where she'd be right now. Before she went into a fight like this one, she always liked to calm the Slayer by letting loose on a heavy bag. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he glanced around and ran a hand through his messy, black hair. Now he just needed to find where she kept it.

"Hey," he stopped one of the potentials as she rushed by him. "Where's Liz- um… Buffy keep her punching bag?"

"In the basement," the girl told him impatiently.

"Thanks."

As soon as he opened the basement door, he knew he was in the right area. He could hear the impact of Buffy's fists against the bag. Faith was holding the bag in place for her as she pummeled it.

"Hey, Harry."

"You might want to switch to the meditation; I come bearing gifts," he suggested as he reached the bottom of the stairs.

"I know," Buffy ground out as she threw one last punch at the bag.

"Right," Harry nodded, "I forgot about that." He watched as she sat in a corner of the room with her back to the wall and closed her eyes. Buffy had always been able to sense her wand and that sword. They eventually decided that it had something to do with her Slayer side sensing the powerful magic in the weapons that belonged to her.

"I like the outfit."

Faith's comment snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned to see her looking him over. "Thanks," he said, taking up her former position of holding the bag.

"So, do you know how to use those or are they just for show?" With a nod of her head she motioned to the sword and axe that were now showing.

Harry held the bag steady as she threw a few warm up punches. "Lizzie taught me."

"So, that's how you two met?"

"Yeah. There was an evil wizard trying to kill me. The Powers sent her to train me, since the people who were supposed to just wanted to keep me locked away until they could kill him."

"And, of course, that was the worst thing they could do," Faith nodded in understanding.

"Yeah. Liz set them straight though," He grinned. "Have to say that a tiny fourteen year old girl telling off one of the greatest wizards since Merlin was one of the funniest things I've ever seen."

"Hey! I can hear you, y' know." Harry and Faith shared a smirk. "And I wasn't tiny," Buffy grumbled quietly, though they both heard her.

Faith chuckled at that. "Yep, that's got B's name all over it." She threw a few more punches at the bag. "So," she began slowly, "B mentioned that you were a wizard?" Harry just nodded with a slightly confused look on his face. "Do I get to see your wand?" she asked with a suggestive smirk.

She was expecting a blush, a stutter, or at least a look of moral outrage, not the cocky waggle of his eyebrows as he mirrored her smirk. "Maybe later."

"No! No wand showing. Don't make me come over there and separate you two."

Faith winked at Harry. "Jeez, B. Enjoying the gutter?"

"You are _so_ not pinning that on me. 'Buffy', 'Harry', and 'gutter' are three concepts that _never_ go together."

"She's got a point about that," Harry told Faith with a half-shrug. "They go together about as well as she and beer do."

"That was _enchanted_ beer. So not my fault. Besides, I can hold my own against Spike doing shots of Firewhiskey," Buffy defended herself.

Faith shot her a skeptical look. "I'll have to ask him about that when he gets back."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Spike lives here?"

Buffy squirmed a bit under his gaze. "I wouldn't exactly use the term '_lives'_, since, well, _vampire_…"

"Liz," he used his best "McGonagall-no-nonsense" tone on her.

"He's good now. He's got a soul. Besides," she stopped squirming and held his gaze almost defiantly. "It's my decision. I trust him."

They stared at each other for a moment before Harry nodded. "All right," he conceded. "I don't like it though, and I don't trust him. Not after what he tried to do."

"I don't expect you to," she said gently. The corner of her lips twisted upwards into a wry smile. "Just try not to stake him on sight."

"Not even with a plastic stake?" Harry asked with a mock-pout identical to the patented "Buffy-pout".

"Damn, that's creepy," Faith commented as she noticed the look. Both Harry and Buffy turned to her with identical pleased looks on their faces. "And that's even creepier."

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Kennedy walked down the dimly lit alleyway nervously. She silently cursed for allowing Faith to talk her into this. It was crazy. Suicidal even. Waiting around as bait for the Bringers to pop out of nowhere and attack. She turned a corner and noticed a brick wall up ahead. A dead end. Great. The faint sound of a knife being pulled from its sheath caught her attention. She ducked just as the Bringer's knife sliced through where she had just been.

Before it could get in another shot, Harry grabbed it from behind and pulled it away. Buffy caught a second Bringer as it charged. She broke its wrist, loosening its grip on the knife enough to easily grab it away. With a sharp twist of the blade, the Bringer fell to the ground. She took in a breath as she surveyed the scene. Kennedy and Caridad had managed to take out the last Bringer, and Harry had his knocked out and bound with a spell. "Everyone okay?" They all nodded. "Let's get this guy back to the house then."

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"Someone get the door," Buffy called out as she and Harry carried the unconscious Bringer through the house. Giles opened the basement door and ushered them through. They set him against the wall and secured his wrists in the chains hanging from the wall. Buffy and Harry stepped back as Giles moved in to look the Bringer over.

"Would you mind waking him? I assume you used a spell of some kind to keep him unconscious?" He glanced over at Harry.

"Enervate." There was a slight wave of Harry's hand, and the Bringer began to come to.

Faith stepped forward and crouched in front of the Bringer. "Start talking. What's the First up to?"

Everyone waited impatiently for the Bringer's answer. Nothing. The Bringer opened it's mouth, slightly, as if trying to speak, and they caught a glimpse of the inside of its mouth. Or, rather, its missing tongue.

Buffy leaned closer to Harry. "This is pointless," she whispered. He nodded.

Giles opened the Bringer's mouth further. "Its tongue's been cut out." No one noticed as Buffy and Harry slipped out of the room.

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"Hey, so?" Dawn asked as Giles, Faith, Willow, and Xander joined the group waiting in the kitchen.

"The Bringer's dumb," Giles answered.

"You were expecting, what, a Rhodes Scholar?" Anya snarked.

"Dumb as in mute," Giles retorted.

"Someone ripped out its tongue," Faith explained.

"Oh, gross," Amanda made a disgusted face.

"Hey…" Dawn began, "I've been reading this old Turkish spell book. There's an old conjuration that the ancient Turks used to communicate with the dying."

"Oh, yeah. I think I've read a translation of it."

Dawn gave Willow a wide-eyed look. "There's a translation of it!" She took a breath and calmed herself before Giles could cut in. "I'm over it. Um, so the spell is used to communicate with people who can't talk. Um, like if a person was dying, this spell would let them say their good-byes or, you know, gripe about how nobody came to visit them. Would this help us with Mr. No-Tongue?"

Willow nodded. "Yeah, I think so. I just need to get together a few ingredients."

"All right. Well, cool." Faith stopped leaning against the wall and took command. "While Willow does that, the rest of us can-"

"We're back," Andrew called out. Spike stepped into the room, leaving Andrew behind.

"Spike," Giles greeted.

"Hey."

Andrew excitedly walked past Spike over to where Xander and Kennedy were standing. "Hi, everybody. I missed you guys a lot. Sorry it took so long to get back from our mission-mission, but we had to wait out the sun. Well, I think our mission went very well. We, uh, we rode on Spike's hog, which was very cool, and, uh... uh, played some amusing games, and- oh! We got some new information. You know what? I really need to urinate." Andrew scurried out of the room.

"He's a breath of fresh air, isn't he? Thank god I don't breathe," he said dryly. "So, I think we got a lead. Where's Buffy?"

"Downstairs," Dawn said.

Faith shot her an odd look. "No, she isn't. She came up here."

Dawn shook her head. "Nope. You guys were the only ones who came back up. I figured she stayed down there to keep an eye on the Bringer."

"You're sure?" Faith glanced around the room. They were all nodding. None of them had seen Buffy. She frowned. Where would Buffy… Her eyes widened slightly. She wouldn't. Ah, hell, of course she would; it's Buffy. "I'm gonna kill her."

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**to be continued...**

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	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** still don't own any of it.

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**Chapter 4:**

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Faith ran upstairs to check the other rooms. They were empty. "She's gone. Harry is too."

"Harry?" Spike asked with a bit of fear in his eyes. "Harry Potter, you mean?"

Faith shrugged. "Never got his last name. He's pretty tight with B though."

"Pale kid? Messy black hair? Green eyes? Scar on his forehead?"

Faith nodded. "Yeah, that's him."

"Oh, bloody hell."

Faith gave him a curious look. "What'd you do to get him so pissed off at you?"

Spike gave her a startled glance. "Before I got my soul, I- I hurt Buffy; could've hurt her more if she hadn't knocked some sense into me. Big brother didn't take too kindly to that." Spike shook his head. "May not have Slayer strength, but that punch definitely runs in the family."

"They're related?"

"You didn't know?" Spike looked surprised at that. "It's bloody obvious, really. They look a lot alike."

Faith shook her head. They didn't have time for this. "They went after Caleb."

He tossed her an axe from Buffy's weapons chest. "Well, what are we waiting for, pet?"

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"You're sure about this?" Harry asked as they watched the Vineyard from the cover of the trees. They had counted over twenty Bringers, but it was difficult to get a real count when they were constantly coming and going.

"Where's that legendary Gryffindor courage?" she teased with a small smirk.

"Left it back at the house along with your Slytherin cunning," he muttered. Buffy shot him a glare.

"Liz, we don't know how many there are. You don't need to do this just to prove a point. Only if you're sure about this."

She nodded slowly. "I am. I can't really explain it… everything… all my Slayer senses… my past experiences… everything's telling me that this is right."

He laid a hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to explain it. I'm with you all the way, no matter what you decide. That's what family's for, right? Merlin knows you went along with all of my crazy plans."

She sent him a relieved smile.

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"Now, wait just a moment," Giles said blocking the doorway. "We're coming with too. We don't need you two going off on your own as well."

"Rupert," Spike said in a low voice, "Get out of my way. You lot are staying here. You're all next to useless in a real fight."

"Hey," Kennedy spoke up, offended. "You can't tell us what to do. Faith's the leader, not you."

That made him pause. He slowly turned to look at the Potential. "What was that?"

Kennedy swallowed a bit at the look on his face, but met his stare. "You heard me. Faith's the leader, now, not Buffy. So, I'd watch my step a bit more carefully, Vampire. Buffy may put up with you, but the rest of us won't."

"Spike, it's not what it sounds like-" Giles tried to calm the vampire.

Spike wasn't in the mood for their excuses. "I'm sure it's _exactly_ what it sounds like, _Watcher_," he spat the word out like a curse, causing Giles to flinch. "I don't know why Slayer puts up with you all when you're so bloody quick to turn on her. Not only does she put up with you, but she _continues_ to put herself on the line to save your traitorous hides. She-"

"Spike," Faith cut him off, "forget about them for now. B'll explain everything later. Buffy. Remember her? Slayer that has a tendency to get herself killed?"

Spike didn't comment. He just grabbed the front of Giles's shirt and shoved him out of the way. Faith shook her head and followed him out. What was it with vampires always having to be so damn dramatic?

**--------------------**

Buffy tightened her grip on her sword. The smooth emeralds embedded in the hilt dug into her hand, but it was far from uncomfortable. Wet blood on the polished steel blade glistened in the moonlight as the dance slowed to a stop. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest as her eyes searched her surroundings for any sign of more Bringers.

Beside her, Harry leaned lightly on his large axe, catching his breath. The fight had been intense. What had started off as only a few Bringers, quickly escalated into a small horde. They didn't have much trouble cutting through the enemy's larger numbers though. With Harry and herself back to back, the Bringers hadn't had a chance. You'd think that they'd get smart and run, or at least go for backup, but apparently the apparently they were dumb after all.

"You think that's all of them?"

Buffy scanned the area for any more of the black-cloaked priests. " I hope so. We've got a preacher to find, and I really don't feel like wasting the entire night with his pawns."

Harry groaned, "You just had to say it, didn't you? Now there's going to be more inside waiting for us."

Buffy shrugged. "Makes sense. It would be pretty stupid for them to all rush us without leaving some behind to hold down the fort."

Harry readjusted the grip on his axe with a sigh. "Let's just get this over with."

Buffy shot him a glance and smirked. "_Someone_ sounds like they're in a bit of a hurry to get back to a certain someone," she teased.

"Am not," he grumbled as he picked up his pace towards the Vineyard, leaving Buffy behind.

Buffy grinned as she watched him stalk off. She had caught the blush creeping across his face as he'd blown past her. "Oh, yeah," she chuckled, "big brother totally has a crush." He wouldn't be in denial for long, she knew. Knowing Faith, even with Buffy's threat, the younger Slayer would be pulling Harry into the first empty room she could find.

Buffy stopped and made a face. "Okay, I completely grossed myself out with that one." She shook her head to ward off that line of thinking and ran to catch up with Harry.

**--------------------**

Caleb's attention shot to the door as it was kicked open. The Slayer strode in, followed by someone Caleb didn't recognize. She must have called in reinforcements. He smirked. It didn't matter who she called. No one was powerful enough to stop the First.

"Hey! I heard you've got something of mine," the Slayer called down to him as she quickly descended the stairs.

Caleb's eyes widened slightly as he noticed the blade she carried. Slytherin's sword. His gaze moved to the man behind her who was smoothly drawing it's widely recognized twin. Gryffindor's sword. According to the legend, the two swords were forged by their original owners' combined magic and used against each other. Even the First feared what those swords, once reunited, could do - which was why his Master had driven Gryffindor and Slytherin against each other.

His fear turned to confusion when he recalled that the swords could only be used by the descendants of Gryffindor and Slytherin. That would make the wielder of Gryffindor's sword, Harry Potter, but the Slayer wasn't of either bloodline. It wasn't possible for her to wield Slytherin's weapon.

"Hey, Liz, I think he recognizes me," Potter said in a mocking tone.

The Slayer snorted. "I'm shocked," she said sarcastically and sent a teasing grin to Potter. "Someone actually recognizes Mr. I'm-a-celebrity."

Potter shot the Slayer a glare. "Yeah, well it looks like he's still in the dark about you."

The Slayer nodded in agreement. "It's a shame, really. Apparently omniscient evil beings aren't as all-knowing as they used to be."

Potter looked thoughtful for a moment. "Either that or his master decided that he wasn't worthy of the knowledge."

She appeared to consider that. "You're probably right."

Caleb leveled a glare at them. "The First is in me, and I in him. He fills me with his power and knowledge." He edged towards a pole resting against the nearby wall.

"So, it _is_ just a lack of knowledge then," Potter quipped.

Caleb picked up the metal pole and gripped it like a staff. Wordlessly, he charged the closer of the two. Potter.

**--------------------**

**to be continued...**

**--------------------**


	5. Interlude 01

**Disclaimer:** _Still don't own any of it._  
**Author's Notes:** _Okay, there are a few differences in this story than the standard Buffyverse. The main one, is that Buffy was called at fourteen, instead of fifteen. She still arrived in Sunnydale at the same time, but she spent more time in the mental institute... well, sort of..._

**Interlude:**

--

_Nine years earlier..._

"Hey, Kid. Wake up."

Buffy sat up groggily and blinked a few times to clear the sleep from her eyes. "Who are you?"

"Name's Whistler. I'm a messenger from the Powers That Be."

"What do they want with me?"

"They want you to train one of their Warriors."

"Why me?"

"'Cause you're The Slayer, Kid."

Buffy chuckled mirthlessly. "Not the Slayer. Just a girl in a mental institution who has paranoid delusions of being a Vampire Slayer."

Whistler sat down on the bed beside her. "He's a lot like you. A kid with a destiny that he doesn't want but can't escape. That destiny won't wait for him to be old enough, but everyone that should be teaching him how to survive and win is too busy trying to protect him from it."

Buffy sighed. "How exactly am I supposed to help him? I can't exactly just walk out of here, you know. Besides, if I did, everyone would be searching for me."

Whistler smiled. "That's the easy part, Kid. As far as everyone will know, you'll still be right here."

"All right. I'll do it. Give me the rundown."

"The what?"

"The rundown. You know, what insane thing I'm getting myself into this time. Does he know about the supernatural? Slayers? Or am I going to be institutionalized again when I tell him anything?" Buffy questioned sarcastically.

"You won't have to worry about that. He's a wizard."

"You're one of those freaks," a horse-faced woman shrieked. "I won't have any more of your kind defiling my house."

Buffy rolled her eyes and looked up. "_You won't have to worry about that_," she quoted, mockingly. "Thanks, Whistler."


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** still don't own any of it.

**--**

**Chapter 5:**

**--**

Harry slid to the side avoiding the preacher's attack. Caleb recovered quickly and moved to attack Harry again, but a tap on the preacher's shoulder made him pause. Caleb turned to see Buffy standing behind him with an eager grin on her face. "You didn't forget about little ol' me, did you?" she feigned a hurt look, before she caught him in the jaw with a right hook.

She glanced up at Harry and shrugged. "I guess he did."

"Doubt he'll make that mistake again," Harry commented with a grin as he watched Buffy easily leap out of the way of Caleb's staff. He shifted the grip on his sword before charging at Caleb. His strike was blocked by the preacher's metal staff, the legendary sword only leaving a dent in the obviously enchanted pole. Caleb was only able to deflect Buffy's simultaneous attack, her blade only leaving a deep cut on his arm instead of taking off his head.

**--**

"Can't you run any faster, Slayer?"

"Don't see you going any faster than I am, so shut it, blondie," Faith snapped, tired of his complaining. She knew he was just worried about Buffy, but he wasn't the only one.

"Can you two argue a little louder? I don't think the Bringers heard you."

Faith and Spike skidded to a stop as they heard the annoyed reprimand. "B?"

"Up here," Buffy said from above them. Their eyes searched the trees above them, until they noticed Buffy crouching on a branch high above them.

"Slayer? What are you doing up there?" Spike frowned slightly. Why would Buffy be hiding in a tree?

"Bringers. Lots of them."

"So, you're hidin'?" Faith's face scrunched up in confusion. "Where's Harry?"

"Um, we got separated. There were too many for us to handle."

**--**

Buffy and Harry's well-coordinated strikes kept Caleb on the defensive. It was clear, however, that the preacher wouldn't be able to keep it up for too much longer. His blocks were becoming increasingly sloppy as he grew increasingly frustrated. In a desperate move to regain the offensive, he kicked out at Harry. His foot caught Harry in the stomach, sending the wizard tumbling back into several wine casks.

Buffy's eyes narrowed, and Caleb realized his mistake. Buffy's attacks increased in strength and speed. Her sword was almost a blur as he tried to block her attacks.

"Liz! Finish up with him. I found what we were looking for."

Caleb's eyes widened slightly and his gaze flicked over to the trap door that was no longer concealed by the wine casks. The moment of distraction was all Buffy needed. She drove her blade deep into his stomach and twisted it as she pulled it free. A hand futilely tried to stem the flow of blood, and Caleb collapsed to the ground.

**--**

"Then stop messing around, B, and get down here. You got us for backup now."

A slow smile spread across Buffy's face as she began to climb down the tree. Spike's eyes narrowed. Something was… off.

"That's not B," Faith said as she felt the evil coming off the woman in waves.

_Buffy _applauded as she walked towards them. "Well done, Faith. And it only took you…" she glanced down at a non-existent watch before looking back up them with a smirk. "_Just_ enough time to be unable to do anything to save Buffy and Harry."

_Buffy_ watched as Spike and Faith ran off towards the Vineyard with a smug expression. "Time to make things interesting," she said to herself as she vanished.

**--**

Buffy dropped through the trapdoor to the platform below and jumped over the railing, landing on the ground in a smooth crouch behind Harry. "So, that's it?" she asked as she stood and moved beside him.

"What do you think?" Harry asked. "An axe of some kind?"

Buffy frowned as she examined the weapon. "Something like that. It's mystical, whatever it is. I can feel the power radiating off of it."

Harry's eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion. "I don't feel a thing." He glanced over at Buffy who just shrugged. "Maybe it's a Slayer thing," he suggested.

"It feels…" she struggled to find an appropriate word, "familiar?"

**--**

A fine red mist poured in under the door and filled the main room of the Vineyard. It swirled around Caleb's body before slowly sinking into his corpse. His chest began to rise and fall gently as the last of the mist was absorbed into his body. His eyes opened and a wicked grin spread slowly across his face. Stiffly at first, _Caleb _rose to his feet and jumped down through the trapdoor. He landed on the wooden platform with a dull thud, causing Harry and Buffy to turn around.

"Well done," _Caleb _applauded mockingly as he descended the stairs.

"How many times do I have to kill you? Ballpark figure?"

"When are you going to realize that you can't kill me, little girl? You may have been able to slay my champion, but he was merely flesh and blood. Imperfect and ultimately insignificant, just like your pitiful attempts to stop me."

"I must be close to finding out how to stop you," Buffy retorted smugly. "Or else, you wouldn't be trying to keep this away from me," she gestured to the weapon embedded in the stone.

_Caleb_ snorted, "Whatever you think, that wasn't meant for you."

"I think I have an idea about who it's for." Buffy grabbed the weapon's handle and easily pulled the blade from the stone. "Let's get out of here," she suggested to Harry.

**--**

"Damn it. They must be inside already," Faith said as she stepped over a dead Bringer. "I swear, if she isn't dead, I'm gonna kill her myself."

Spike tried the door to the Vineyard. It was locked. He gave the door a sharp kick that sent it swinging open. "Buffy!" he called out. A fist shot out of nowhere. "Bloody hell!" he stumbled back, holding his nose. "What was that for, Potter?"

Harry smirked. "Sorry, Spike," he didn't sound the least bit apologetic, "I thought you were a Bringer."

"Right," Spike said skeptically. Before he could add anything else, Faith cut in.

"What the hell do you think you were doing?" she sent Buffy and Harry a glare.

"Faith," Buffy said calmly, trying to appease the younger woman, "Caleb's dead, we got what we came for, can we wait to do this when we get home?"

Faith held her glare for another moment. "Fine." She turned and started out of the Vineyard. "But then I want some answers, B."

**--**

**to be continued...**

**--**


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** still don't own any of it.

**_____________**

**--------------------**

**Chapter 6:**

**_____________**

**--------------------**

The entire walk back to the house, was made in silence. The tension between them weighing heavily on each of them. Buffy's hand hovered over the doorknob nervously now as they reached the door. She felt Harry's hand rest gently on her shoulder and took a deep breath, steeling herself. With her mask of confidence firmly in place, she strode through the back door. At seeing most of the potentials along with the Scoobies gathered in the kitchen, she stopped.

Giles…

Willow…

Xander…

Dawn…

God, how had they gotten like this? They had all been through so much together over the years. When had it all started to fall apart?

Her face revealed nothing as she met each set of eyes. Buffy's gaze came to rest on the scythe in her hands as she lifted it, making it clearly visible to all in the room. She flung it down on the table, and had to suppress a satisfied smirk as nearly everyone jumped slightly at the noise. Without a word, she walked past them.

When Spike moved to follow her downstairs, Harry held out a hand to stop him. Oblivious to them both, Faith snatched the weapon up from the table just as Willow reached out to pick it up. "Keep in mind, she was right," she threw over her shoulder as she followed Buffy downstairs.

"They need to talk, and so do we," Harry said quietly. He motioned for Spike to follow him outside.

"Oi, what are you doing?" Spike demanded as he found himself shoved against the house, unable to move.

"Are you stupid, Spike? Do you remember what I said I would do to you if you ever came near her again?" Harry asked coldly.

Spike's eyes widened. "She won't let you-"

"She asked me to _try_ not to stake you on sight. She knew better than to ask for more than that. Why do you think she didn't say a word when I punched you earlier? _This_ is me trying, Spike, but if you _ever_ hurt her again, in any way, what I did to you last time will pale in comparison." His eyes narrowed. "Do you understand?" he ground out.

"I'm not going to hurt her, mate, I promise."

"Make sure you don't," Harry said as he released Spike and went back inside.

**_____________**

**--------------------**

Buffy's eyes followed Faith's pacing from her seat on the cot. She couldn't help the small smile that tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Am I in trouble?"

Faith stopped her pacing at the teasing tone. "What the hell were you thinking, B? That stunt you pulled was reckless, stupid, and-"

"And it worked," Buffy gestured to the weapon Faith was holding, as proof of the success.

"You got lucky," Faith countered.

Buffy shook her head. "Getting lucky would be Andrew pulling that off."

"No, _that _would be a miracle," Faith smirked.

Buffy smiled before continuing. "I know what I can do; I know what Harry can do; and I know what Harry and I combined can do. Regardless of what you believe, I didn't go blindly into that fight."

"I don't want you going off on your own next time, B. Strength in numbers and all that shit, you got it?" The Slayers were locked in a staring match, and Faith refused to back down until Buffy nodded her agreement. "Good. Now what's going on with you and Harry? If he's your brother, why doesn't anyone know about it?" Faith sank down on the cot beside Buffy. "Especially Dawn," she added as an afterthought.

Buffy's eyes widened slightly, "What makes you think that…" she trailed off at the disbelieving look Faith sent her. "All right," she rolled her eyes, "Before Harry and I were born there was a war going on in England's magical society. One faction wanted to kill off anybody who wasn't from a purely magical family. The other faction was trying to stop that from happening. Because of a prophecy that Harry was going to defeat the leader of the Nazi wannabes, our parents went into hiding. During that time they had me, but because no one even knew that our mother was pregnant, they were able to hide me. I was placed with Joyce and Hank Summers, whose memories were altered so they didn't even realize that I wasn't their daughter."

"Damn," Faith said quietly.

"I found out when I was fourteen when the Powers sent me to teach Harry how to fight. Albus Dumbledore, who was his principal at the time, was the one who helped our parents hide me. He recognized me, and the magical society found out that I was related to Harry, but we were able to keep people from connecting the dots to me being the Slayer. It adds a whole 'secret weapon' element if the big bads don't know who we've got on our sides," Buffy smirked.

"And Dawn?" Faith asked after a moment.

Buffy shrugged. "The monks didn't know that I was related to Harry, so when they rewrote my memories, I didn't know that we were related. The real memories came back after I died though."

Faith ran a hand through her hair as she tried to wrap her head around it all. "Damn, that's a lot to take in."

"And that's not even the cliff notes version," Buffy smirked.

Faith shook her head, "That's-"

Both Slayers' attention was instantly drawn to the basement door as it creaked open. "Liz, Faith! Moony just mirrored. He thinks he has a lead for us." Harry said as he walked downstairs.

Faith's brow scrunched up, confused. "Who's 'Moony'? Please tell me he's not named for what I'm thinkin' he is."

Buffy smiled. "He's a werewolf," she explained.

"He's owling the books he found, but he said it has something to do with a hellmouth that was once where Hogwarts is now."

**_____________**

**--------------------**

**to be continued...**

**_____________**

**--------------------**


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** still don't own any of it.

**_____________**

**--------------------**

**Chapter 7:**

**_____________**

**--------------------**

Faith didn't turn as the door opened and closed behind her. Harry moved silently to stand beside her. "So, how goes the research?" she asked after a moment.

"Willow's searching the internet for any mentions of Hogwarts being on a Hellmouth. Giles has everyone else searching through his books, but I don't think we'll find anything there. Liz ducked out of the research to meditate."

Faith raised a brow at that. "I don't remember B ever being into that meditation stuff Giles was trying to get us into back in the day."

"How much did Liz tell you about the magic we do?"

"Not much," Faith admitted. "Mostly just that magic you do is different than Red's. Comes from inside of you."

"Right," Harry sighed. "Okay, because the magic comes from inside us, it's effected by our emotions. Normally, this isn't too much of a problem, but the Hellmouth puts out a bit of negative energy that…" his brows scrunched together as he searched for the right term, "muddles the water, uh, so to speak."

"Then how come you're not-"

"Inside, meditating?" Harry interrupted her. Faith nodded. He flushed slightly but sent her a sly grin. "I was hoping I could find a sparring partner for a bit?"

Faith looked him up and down, grinning. "You think you can keep up with Slayer stamina?" she teased.

Harry chuckled softly. "I think I'll manage."

**_____________**

**--------------------**

The floor was cold and hard beneath her, but she didn't notice it.

There was nothing. No sound beyond the slow, steady rhythm of her heart.

With each beat, the sound grew more faint as she melted further into the void.

Anger. Tension. Fear. Everything melted away now, consumed by the endlessness of the void.

**_____________**

**--------------------**

His heart pounded in his ears as a fist sailed past his head. His arms strained to block the knee aimed for his stomach. He staggered backwards a step as Faith added a burst of strength to the blocked jab to drive them apart.

Harry dropped to his hands, smoothly avoiding a blow to his head. He shifted his weight to his arms as he launched a kick at Faith's midsection. She caught his foot and sent him spinning to the ground. Harry quickly rolled with the spin and came up in a crouch.

Faith grinned as they circled each other. "Not bad."

"Thanks," Harry shot her an answering grin as he ducked under a roundhouse kick and swiped her leg out from beneath her. As she fell, Faith pulled Harry with her and switched their positions.

She landed on top of him.

For a moment, they just stared at each other, breathing hard. Neither was unaware of how close they suddenly found themselves. His hands were settled, not uncomfortably, on her waist. Her loose hair tickled his ear slightly as it moved with each breath.

"Ah, screw it," Faith said suddenly. Before she could move, Harry leaned up, closing the slight distance between them, and captured her mouth with his own.

**_____________**

**--------------------**

The void surrounded her like a blanket. Calming her. Protecting her. Soothing the Slayer that strained beneath the surface.

A sharp gasp broke the silence as pain exploded in her stomach. The emptiness of the void was replaced with flashes of images. Sharp and jumbled, each image bled into the next before she could understand what it was. She pulled her hand away from her stomach and stared in confusion at the blood that coated it. A hand closed on her shoulder. Her blood covered hand instantly ripped it away.

"_Buffy!"_

Her eyes flew open. Her gaze was instantly drawn to her hands, free of any blood. She stared at her hands in confusion until a soft noise drew her attention to the figure slumped against the wall. "Willow?"

**_____________**

**--------------------**

Faith let out a barely audible sound that conveyed her displeasure as they were forced to break apart for air. A soft, husky chuckle escaped her lips as her fingers absently played with his messy hair. "Wasn't expecting you to make the first move," she admitted.

A slightly cocky grin settled on his lips. "I know." Faith rolled her eyes and shoved him back a bit with a grin of her own tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Faith opened her mouth, a no-doubt sarcastic remark ready, but a crash from inside the house cut off her reply. Faith was on her feet and running to the house in an instant with Harry right behind her.

Kennedy tried several times to hit Buffy, but each time, the blonde effortlessly blocked her. "What the hell is going on here?" Faith demanded as Buffy deflected another attempted attack. The momentum from Kennedy's lunge sent the potential crashing into the table.

"She attacked Willow!" Kennedy said furiously as she picked herself up.

"_Petrificus totalus_," Harry said softly, putting Kennedy in a body bind when she tried to go after Buffy again.

"B?" Faith shot the other Slayer a confused look.

Buffy sighed. "I did not _attack_ Willow." From the irritation evident in her tone, Faith could tell that this wasn't the first time Buffy had tried to explain that. "While I was meditating, I went into a Slayer dream… or vision, I guess, since I was awake. Will grabbed my shoulder and I knocked her against the wall before I even came out of it."

Faith nodded. Sneaking up on a Slayer was dangerous, especially if the Slayer was asleep or in a trance. Willow should have known better. She glanced over at the wiccan. "Red, keep your girl in line." When Willow nodded, Faith turned to Harry. "You can let her go now."

Kennedy was still glaring at Buffy as the bind was removed. "So what if she didn't mean to. It just proves how dangerous she is."

"Kennedy," Willow tried to get her girlfriend to calm down, but Kennedy wasn't having it.

"No, we should have stuck to the plan. If we had, she wouldn't have been able to hurt you."

Faith froze. She could feel Harry tense behind her. A quick glance over at Buffy, did nothing to alleviate her concerns. The older Slayer's face was completely blank. She didn't want to ask. She knew that she wasn't going to like the answer, but she had to ask anyways. "What plan?"

"They were going to kick her out," Spike said from the stairs. "Bloody traitors," he added with a disgusted tone.

"Damn right, we were gonna," Kennedy was undeterred. "We should've-" Kennedy never saw it coming. Faith backhanded her hard enough to knock the girl out.

"Faith!" Willow rushed to catch Kennedy before she could hit the ground.

Faith glared at Willow. "I told you to keep your girl in line, Red. Get her out of here before I do. Because if I do, I'll dump her ass outside, regardless of what comes out after dark." Faith glanced at Harry, who nodded slightly, before she steered Buffy downstairs.

"Buffy," Dawn tried to go after her sister, but Harry stepped into her path, effectively blocking her.

"Don't," he warned. "We both know you would have sided with them. The blood running through your veins might mean that you're our sister, but family is about more than just blood. Until you learn that, do her a favor and spare her any more pain." His tone was cold, and his words were harsh. He couldn't bring himself to care though as he walked away. "You owe her at least that much," he threw over his shoulder as he closed the basement door behind him.

Spike tried to follow them down the stairs, but couldn't get the door to budge. He kicked the door in frustration, but it refused to budge. "Bloody hell, Potter!"

**_____________**

**--------------------**

**to be continued...**

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End file.
